Daily Dose

Monthly home price appreciation gained steam in August even as a growing number of markets reported declines, according to FNC, Inc. The company's Residential Price Index (RPI) posted national growth of 0.8 percent in August, accelerating from July's 0.6 percent increase. Not all cities saw an acceleration, however.

The economy continued to grow on a "modest to moderate" track over the last month, with consumer spending and job growth fueling improvements in other economic sectors, according to the latest update from the Federal Reserve. With two weeks to go until the Federal Open Market Committee's next policy meeting, Wednesday's report further bolsters the popular prediction that the central bank will vote to end its monthly bond-buying program.

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported a 5.6 percent increase in its mortgage applications index for the week ending October 10. The headline index got a boost from refinancing applications, which surged 11 percent over the week as the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropped to 4.20 percent, its lowest in more than a year.

In a report released Wednesday, Wolters Kluwer Financial Services (WKFS) said its Regulatory & Risk Management Indicator increased again to 128, reflecting a 28 percent rise since its baseline score established in January 2013. Looking at compliance challenges, 72 percent of banker respondents listed "maintaining compliance with changing regulations" as one of their top concerns, up from 67 percent at the start of last year.

Bank of America reported on Wednesday its earnings for the third quarter, revealing that profits tanked under the weight of a massive legal charge stemming from a recent mortgage settlement with the Justice Department. Factoring in the settlement, BofA's mortgage unit was the only one of its five businesses that didn't see income grow over the last year.

RealtyTrac's election housing scorecard rated 1,547 county housing markets in the U.S. based on five factors that affect the health of housing. A total of 811 U.S. county housing markets (52 percent) were rated as "better off" than they were two years ago, compared to only 11 percent (176 markets) categorized as "worse off."

Citigroup reported an increase of 7 percent in its net income from $3.2 billion up to $3.4 billion year-over-year in the third quarter. Overall, Citigroup's revenues increased by 9 percent year-over-year in Q3, up to $19.6 billion.

In survey findings released Tuesday, Bankrate.com reported that two-thirds of American consumers are now limiting how much they spend each month. Of those who have had to draw their purse strings tighter, 32 percent cited stagnant income as the main reason, while 29 percent said they need to save more. Sixteen percent cited worries about the economy in general.

Fewer than one-third of American consumers have a passable understanding of their financial rights, according to a new study from FICO. In a comprehensive survey of U.S. bank customers, the analytics company found only 30 percent of those quizzed about their financial rights earned a passing grade, with only 1 percent achieving an A (with 92 percent of responses correct).

Third-quarter profits improved annually at two of the nation's biggest megabanks, though mortgage banking results were mixed. For the latest completed quarter, JPMorgan Chase reported net income of $5.6 billion compared to a loss of $380 million a year ago. On the other side of the country, Wells Fargo posted profits of $5.7 billion for the quarter, up from $5.6 billion in Q3 2013 and flat from Q2 2014.